ICYMI: Avocado is in season

Made up of mostly good (monosaturated) fats, avocados also have the highest concentration of dietary fibre of any common fruit and, because of the amount of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and phytochemicals they contain, they’re often regarded as a superfood.

Did you know South Africa produces about 90 000 tons of avos every year – we are one of the world’s biggest producers and we rank in the top 3 exporters to Europe.

How do you tell if your avo is ripe?

• The feel test: gently press down and around the stem area. If it’s soft, your avo is ripe and ready for use! This is because avos start ripening from the bottom towards the stem.
• The stem test: peel back the little stem off the top of the avo. If it reveals green flesh and comes off easily, your avo is ready to use. If it reveals brown flesh, your avo is (sadly) overripe.
• Hass avocados differ to other avocados in that their skin changes colour from green to brown, purple and even black to indicate that it is ripe.

How do I speed up the ripening process?
Keep avos at room temperature and they will ripen within two to three days. Impatient? Keeping them in a brown paper bag speeds up the ripening process.

How do I stop my avos from ripening?
Most avos will stay firm and ripen slower if placed in the fridge. Try and use them within a week as long-term refrigeration will have a negative effect on the fruit’s quality and can cause internal discolouration.

How to store leftover avo
Only using half an avo? Keep the pip attached to the remaining half, sprinkle the flesh with lemon, cover with clingwrap and store in the fridge. The same applies to leftover avo dips, too (if that’s even a thing).

[metaslider id=24961]

Why should you eat seasonally? (and locally?)
Eating seasonally means eating fresh produce that’s grown and picked in the same season as you are eating it. Makes sense right?
It also means that the produce has had enough time to produce the good stuff and, if you’re buying it locally, this means you get the freshest product because it didn’t have to board a ship or plane to get here so all the nutrients are still present. You get to support local farms and farmers, which means you get to feel a bit smug, too.

Discover more recipes featuring avo here.